Addressing machine



Novo 9 9 i926; l E.. A. @Enum m m.

ADDRESS ING MACHINE Filed Sept. 22. 1925 l0 Sheets-Sheet l Nw i@ mm, y www@ E. A. SERGE@ ET Ai.

ADDRESSING MACHINE Filed Septf 22. 1925 l0 SheeJcS-Sheec 2 ATTORNEY Nom m6.,

A. GEHGE ET RL ADDRESSING MACHINE l0 Sheets-Sheet 5 Filed Sept. 22, 1925 LBGQBSS A, @EIGEN ET AL ADDREssING MACHINE Filedsept. 22, 1925 1o sheets-sheet 4 INVENTORS ATTORNEY Nom 9 ,p i926,n

E. A. @EIGEN ET AL ADDRESSIYNG MACHINE 10 Sheets-Sheet 5 Filed sept. 22, 1925 Nm@ www 396mm@ E. A. @IELIGEH ET A1. y

ADDREssNG MACHINE Filed sept. 22 1925 l0 'sheets-Sheet 6 INVENTORS ATTORNEY I ADDRESS ING MACHINE Filed sem. 22. 1925 1o sheets-sheet 7 INVENTORS AITORNEY Mmm 9 9 i H@ L?. A. @mam ET AL ADDRESSING MACHINE Filed Sepi. 22, 1925 l0 Sheets-Shed 8 /Zdd ATTORNEY Nov. 9 1926. ,606,358

E. A; @GEHGER ET AL ADDRESSING MACHINE Filed Sept. 22. .1.925 10 Slleeizs-Sheel 9 ATTORNEY Nov, 9, 1926, l

E. A. GEEGER ET AL ADDRESSING MACHINE 3U Sheets-Sheet lo Patented New enten 'VVOGIL AND T. JENNNGS, 0F DALE, NEVI YORK,

ADDRESSING- MACHINE COMPANY, CGRPGRATGN OF NEW 'SIRIQ ADDRESSIN'G MACE-EINE.

Application tiled September 'lhis invention relates to machines for printing a series ot names and addresses or other ists oit names or legends 'from sets of stencil cards or other address bearing strips, and is more particularly designed to produce a machine in which the naines or addresses in a relatively short list may be automatically printed over and over1 again, in which such names or addresses may be printed at predetermined varying distances on a continuous web of paper and said Web cut into sections of varying lengths, each containing one naine or address or other printed legend, and in which a plurality ci" sets of such printed strips or sheets may be simultaneously run o'l.

The invention is particularly designed to supply the requirements ol the post oiiice service in the printing of numerous sets of tickets and labels to be usen on mail bags and packages ot mail matter to be consce utively delivered at the series ot stations constituting a mail route. ln the case of the railway mail service troni New York, tor instance, there are scores ot mail routes lined by departmental practice, each route comprisinp,` from a dozen to a. hundred or more stations. rllhc mail clerks must put the first class mail matter tor each station along such a particular route in a separate mail bag or bags each ot which must be labeled with the ame ot' that station, and other mail matter tor that station is put into packages each oi" which must be similarly labeled. Each mail bag is so labeled by sliding a short slip ot' paper on which the naine of the station has been printed into a suitable metallic 'tra e tast on the bag, and longer sheets of paper havingr the station name printed thereon are Ysed for labeling' the bundles ot' second class or other matter not put in the mail bags. 'lhis requires the New York oilice to print up 20 or 100 sets at a time ot the tickets and labels tor each route, and this necessitates the running of a set of stencil cards or other printing' devices each adapted to print the name of one station on the route through an inking and impression mechanism many times in succession. lllheu the list is short and the machine speeded up to the limit the set of cards ivill come through in a 'teiv seconds and the machine must then stand idle for a much longer time 'trifle an ctt" int is collecting and restack .1.925. Serial No. 57,867.

ing the. cards so as to run them through ing magazine, from which it Will be again Ated in .its turn to the printing' mechanism,

and so on indefinitely until the desired number ot sets of tickets or labels -for that route have been printed. The machine hereinafter described is set up to print the successive names or other legends on Webs ot' paper which are then cut into sections and the amount of feed given the paper between each printing operation may be varied so that short tickets, long` labels other printed terms may be produced at will. Also any web or strip of paper being printed is ted crossways ot' the line ot travel oi` the stencil cards which are advancing along` the guides from magazine to printing mechanism, so that two or more sets or" inking` and paper feeding' mechanism may be placed one behind the other along the path ot the stencil cards, and, as a result, tivo or more tickets or labels printed at each cycle of oper. ition otl the machine, each naine or other legend beine' printed successively on tivo or more Webs o'f paper. @liviously this doubles or trebles or otherwise multiplies the output ot' the machine. lso, in order to enable the 1 machine to be used in the ordinary Way'and then discharge into another receptacle each ste icil card which has passed through the printing' meclianism, the card disposing mechanism is made con vertible, so that the cards may either be lifted up and carried back to be restacked in the 'feed magazine .tor automatic repetition of the printing operations therefrom, or theymay be discharged downward into another receptacle in the usual way. YVarious other improvements in details ot mechanism are involved which 'will be hereinafter pointed out and illustrated in the accompanyingl ten sheets ol" drawing "which show one torni otlcommercial `apparatus now in use by the United States Post @Hice and embodying* the present invention. liu said drawings,

Fig. l is a front elevation ot the main portion ot the machine with parts removed and others broken away.

Fig. la is a general side elevation of the entire machine with some small details omitted.

Fig. 2 is a general plan view with parts broken away and others shown in sections taken on dilferent horizontal planes.

Fig. 3 is a detail side elevation on an enlarged scale showing a part of the card restacking mechanism with some parts shown in section and others broken away.

Fig. 4 is` a similar detail side elevation showing the printing mechanism.

Fig. 5 is a detail front elevation on an enlarged scale showing the paper cutting, packing and intermittently acting feed mechanism, parts being shown in vertical section.

Fig. Gis a detail vertical cross section of the same mechanism taken on line 6 6 of Fig. 5 with parts broken away.

Fig. 7 is a similar section of the same mechanism taken on line 7-7 ot Fig. 5.

Fig. 8 is a detail elevation of the paper 'feed locking device, looking from the left hand side of Fig. 5.

Fig. 9 is an enlarged detail front elevation oi' a part o'f the card handling device, showing the saine in adjustment tor the restacking operation.

Fig l0 is a similar view showing certain ot the parts in adjustment `for ordinary stacking of the used cards in a receiving chute.

Fig. ll is a similar view of another portion of the card handling device showing its connection with the card magazine, and

Fig. l2 is an enlarged detail sectional view of the paper feed locking device taken on line 12-12 of Fig. 8.

Fig. 13 is a perspective detail view of the clutch on the main driving shaft.

Throughout the drawings like reference characters indicate like parts.

l' represents the main iframe of the inachine at one end of which is the usual magazine 2 for stencil cards, the bottom card in the magazine being pushed out along hori- '/.ontal guides 3 (Figs. l, 4, 9 and 10) through a printing mechanism and then discharged into a card disposal apparatus 5 (Figs, l and 9) at the other end of said guides.

A teaturev of this machine is that it prints twice from each card, thereby producing duplicate sets of tickets, labels or other printed reproductions of the name, or address or other legend borne by each card. ccordingly two stencil cards 4, 4a (Fig. 2) are shown in printing position. There is a long printing platen 6 (Figs. l and 4) which overhangs both cards which are in printing position and is supported on the horizontal arm of a bell crank fra-me 7 through the medium of loose ball-bearing 8 and adjusting screws 9, 9, by which the platen 6 may be accurately aligned longitudinally so as to press evenly upon both cards, but left free to tip laterally on an axis determined by said adjusting screws. The bell-crank frame is pivoted on `a horizontal shaiit l0, (Figs. 3 and 4) journaled in the iframe l and, at` the end ot its depending arm, carries the cam roller 27 which is held in contact with cam 28, carried on main :.h-irne' shaft 1.9, by means of the tension spi-i i 25, the other end ot which is fastened t lain Yframe by hook 26.

The inking device cooperating with the platen 6 and stencil cards, 4, 4, and, together therewith, forming the printing mechanism, consists ot' two inking rollers l1, 1lreciprocated along cam grooves 12 (Fig. 4) by reciprocation of the yoke 13 in which the rollers are journaled. This yoke is reciprocated by means of the bell-crank l5 to which it is pivoted at 14. Said bell-crank pivoted to the main trame on an eccentric bearing 16FL carried on shaft 16, which is circumierentially adjustable to adjust the zene oi travel ot the inking rollers. This hearing may be clamped in any desired positien by hexagonal nut 16b (see Fig. 4). ell-crank l5 carries on its other and shorter arm a roller l? which is held in engagement with the cam 1.8 on shaft 19 by means ot tension Q9 connected to the belll5 at one end and to the main trame e other end by hook 30. k is applied to the rollers ll, 1la by doctor rolls 24, 24a (Fig. 4) running in ink 'fountain 2l and driven by gearing 20 'from main shatt i9 best shown in Fig. 4. Said doctor rolls are also geared to the inking rollers ll, ll by gear wheel 2Oa when the platen 6 is raised and the inking rollers are lowered into contact with. the doctor rolls `l then caused to rotate in Contact therewith by gear Q0 and pinion 20h which have -sliaied teeth to facilitate engagement when the inking` rolls are in position shown in Fig. 4, 22 is the usual adjustable knife for regulating the thickness ot the ilm ot ink on the doctor rolls. said knife being adjustable toward and from said roller by means ot set screws 23.

The mechanism for feeding the stencil ards intermittently from in L laine Q along guides 3 to the printing mechanism comprises the reciprocating claw 3l (Figs. l and l1) pivoted at 32 on a slide 33 reciprocated by link 34 pivoted to the upper ad of lever 35 which is pivotcd to the main traine at its lower end and vibrated by adjustable connecting rod 37 trom crank 3S on short shaft 39 which is driven from the main shaft 19 by bevel gearing 49, 4l (Figs. l and 2). Claw 3l catches the inside ot the pasteboard trame of the lowermost card 4 the Curds .into guides 3, the lower edges the guides :ire beveled as sho-Wn et 3C, and

:i roller 3 is loosely journeled in vertically slotted bearings 3h to vziecoinii'ioeste slight variations in thickness of the cards.

dn inipoitzint feature of the present iiivention consists in ineens for either returning each earch which has passed through the inlring und impresion n'iechenisiii, to

the eeid niegezine 2, or depositing it in :i

card collector ri* in which :ill the cert given set or run inziy be removed they have been collected therein and either iilet. muy tor storage or returned to the niegan-nie 2 in 2i body to be used over again rThis ii'iechzinisni is illustrated in Figs. l, l, 3., D, l0 and ll, in which 50 represents jenerelly e., vibrating; cnrd disposal ineiniN,er nounted in the general cord i' :ippiiiiitus The details o con .i ot this nien'iber 50 comprise e horizontal plutebl located :ibove the inner end of e downwardly and outwardly extending curved chute 52 l, and l0) into which the used curds nisy be forced by u downward movement ot lie plete 5l when d movement properly tinied end ei;- tenes through a path the upper end ot which is just ebove the level oit the cert guides 3.3 us indicated in Fig. lO. '52h is ii spring clip for holding the cords in the chute und preventing the top c rd springing beck fitter the pressure ol plete 5l is reinov d. This chute 52 inay have :i friction device therein adapted to be i'oiced filone)` the chute by the sccuniuletii'ig body ot used @erds deposited therein und so ret-:iin seid cords in coiituc; one with :mother in u, colw uuin or bunch es also indicated in Figi. l0. .lis saflioivn, this tri/:tion device comprises a uiovnblc body .5I-i which iney be n'izide in the torni oit o. duinb-bell heviiig a. 1Central pussngreivny axially tlicreoi in -which nre mounted tu'o roundliezided plung'eis 5lliiivingi; limited ii'ioveii'ient in the peus-epe wey controlled by redini pins movingv in linyiinel' slots 56 in the side oiP body .5S-3, seid plune'ors fill beine; n: riiielly forced outward bv spiral springs 5i' so thnt they inzile trietionzil contact with the side Valls ot the chute 52. As n result, erich time another verd tort-,ed down into the chute by the downward inovenient ot plete 5l the dunib- ,ii-i rolls slinl'itly along; the chute to el the other cnres to nieve long1 the chute L distance equel to the thickness of the eert so edded to the collection. A. ciiid tiling tiny 52 muy be placed in chute 52 es shown in Fin; l. The duinb-bell 5S would then precede the cards :in this tray..

rllie plete 5l is supported und otlset troni :i slide or coiringe 58 which nieves on vertical guide rods GO under control of the toi-l (il, (Figs. l and 3) engaging the in rollei` 59 carried on slide 58. l*1 oi'lred lever Gl is pivoted on the iiiiiin 'lfriuiie et 32 und vibruted by com roller G3 engaging one or the other ot the ouin grooves Se or 64b cut in opposite feces olf th keyed to inein shsilt 19,

e disc Gel Which he two eein grooves are set substantially 1S@ degrees epiirt iis indicated in Fig'. 3 end ivhen the disc f del is set on the sliett l5) with one oroove engaging esni roller the card disposal nieniber iecipiocetes ns preffiously des rilied through u zione extending troni n point slightly above the letsel ot' the cni'd ruidos 3 down to the position shown in broken lines in Fig. 10, and peclis the iz th iii chute 52 above described the L c (Si is reversed on shaft 19 and conseque.A t die coin roller 68 engages the groove in 'the opposite side ot seid cnin discs iiiid the `pie-.th et travel ot the card disposal nie ibei i0 iii a, Zone e is changed so that it recipioczites xfendine; troni e point just below the end et card guides S, es shown in 9, to :iii elevated position there shown in broken gnes. flinch ezird delivered troni Jthe `@guides t'ieii received ipon en ineiined tiible G5 to the ceci-d disposal nieniber at 65 L.hilly tipped up in the position ioe'n in i" ill lines in Fits. l und 9 by spring 3177 Yfurther tipping of the table being pre- A spring` lock 69 may eine table 65 to hold it in e niore nearly ontel -4position :is indicated in Fig. 1G. le table (l5 is in the normal position ed in the other end ol belt iriyiugi' traine 95 (lil l und ll). Said traine 95 is pivoted :it i 'i ts igijlit bend end on shzitt T53 which is journeled iii brackets 73 (Fig. und seid 'freine 95 is supported zit its lett hond end by lugs 85 having e vei'ticnl adjustment on ver- 'cel rods 8G and held in any position of ed istiiient thereon by set screws 8T. ili lower ,et ot ti'nveliuej endless belts 8O running' over ulleys ill and tlf-i, ure nlso carried by freine Tension rollers 94, 911: :ire set in this ruine cooperating with belts l0 und 80 es ion'n in Fie;u l. The lower belt 8O is driven by the trein'ol spur gee-rs 79 troni shaft .72 et pulley 71; Shaft 72 has on its outer end bevel gear 74 (Figs. 2 and 3) meshing with bevel gear 75 on vertical driving shaft 76, to which motion is given by electric motor 7 S through bevel gearing 77.

iis soon as the card carried by table 65 comes in contact with belt which runs substantially parallel to said table, said card is slid upward ofi' the table by friction of said belt, against which the card is forced by a slight compression of spring 67 (Fig. 9). These belts are usually made of a composition containing rubber, and the card is drawn in between the adjacent strands of belts 70 and 30 and by them carried up and discharged into the magazine 2 as shown in Figs. 1 and 11. To make sure that the card is deposited in this magazine right side up, there is preferably added to the above described mechanism a pair of discharging belts 90. These run over pulleys 39, 89, (Figs. 2 and 11) journaled in frame 95 adjacent to pulley 33, and over pulley 91 carried by arm 92 pivoted at its upper end on shaft 93 in frame 95. rllhis short discharge belt 90 is driven by spur gearing` 82 (Figs. 1, 2, and 11) from the shaft of pulley To facilitate the transfer of the cards from control of belts 70 and 80, the belts which are in close contact at the lower end as shown in Fig. 1, are allowed to diverge slightly at the upper end as shown in Figs. 1 and 11. Also, to positively guide the card into the magazine 2, roller 96 is provided beneath belt 90 and so spaced away from pulley 84 that the front edge of each stencil card will pass over roller 96 before the rear edge of the card is released by belt 80. Roller 96 is carried by a vertically adjustable slide which is clamped to the magazine wall by set-screw 96l at the desired height (Fig. 11).

The discharge end of this belt-conveyer system can be raised or lowered to accommodate stacks of cards of different heights in the magazine by shifting brackets 85, 85, up or down on rods 86 after loosening set-screws 87, 87. If a set of 12 or 15 cards only are being used over and over again, the delivery belt system would be lowered so as to bring the lower portion of the discharge belt 90 slightly above the top of the stack in the magazine 2. if, on the other hand, a set of 50 or 100 cards were being used, the delivery end of the belt system would be raised correspondingly. Roller 96 is also adjusted vertically, as above described, to maintain contact with belt 90.

Then this transfer or restacking apparatus is not being used the discharge belt 90 may be swung up out of the magazine 2 by swinging the arm 92 upward as shown in dotted lines in Fig. 11, the belt 90 being sufciently elastic to allow of the resultant stretching required to permit of this operation. Of course when this restacking apparatus is not being used current is shut off reo-ases from motor 78. 1n such case the inclined table 65 locked down by spring lock 69 in the position shown in Fig. 10, as the cam disc 64 is reversed to cause the plate 51 to come into operation as a means for packing the cards downward into chute 52, instead of employing table 65 to lift them up and deliver them to the restacking mechanism last above described. This avoids wear on belt 7 0 which would otherwise possibly result from table 65 knocking against the overhanging portion of said belt.

To facilitate the reversal of double-faced cam disc 64, the bearing 19a for that end of shaft 19 isi fastened to main frame 1 by a set-screw 19h (Fig. 3) and maintained in alignment by rib 19C fitting in the base of the bearing pedestal.

rlChe electric motor 78 (shown in Figs. l, 1EL and 3) does not supply the power for running the entire machine but constitutes a separate drive for the card stacking and restacking mechanism as previously described. The power for driving other portions of the machine is supplied from the larger electric motor 109 (Figs. 1 and 1a.) This main motor 109 drives pulley 107 by means of belt 108 and smaller pulley 105, on the same countershaft 106 on which pulley 107 is mounted, drives pulley 100 on main shaft 19 through belt 104.

The pulley 100 shown clearly in Fig. 2 is loosely mounted on shaft 19, said shaft being supported by the bearings 101 and 19a. Projecting from the hub of the pulley 100 are three pins 101'L1 equally spaced apart, which revolve with the pulley and act as the driving means when engagement is made with the clutch key 102, The clutch key 102et is slidably mounted in the clutch head 102 fixed to the shaft 19 and may be held out of the path of the revolving pins 101a by means of a cam 102b on the clutch rod 103. When clutch rod 103 is in raised position the clutch key 102a is withdrawn and the pulley revolves idly on the shaft 19 but when it is in the lowered position as shown in Fig. 1, the

clutch key is released under pressure, produced by coiled spring 102c (see Fig. 13) and is immediately engaged by one of the pins 101% which starts the machine in motion.

The clutch rod 103 may be operated in any convenient manner as by one or more clutch operating levers 103a shown in Fig. 1a, which are connected to the clutch rod 103 by any convenient apparatus not illustrated in the drawings.

Paper feeding (LZQZQCLf/Mus-As illustrated, this machine is arranged to print the addresses borne by the stencil cards upon two webs of paper, 111, 111g, (Fig. 2) and these webs or ribbons of paper are preferably supplied from separate rolls mounted on the shaft 42 (see Fig. la) one of which rolls is Tbl Lacasse shown at 119. The paper is gradually unwound from the roll. by tension of the oontinuously operating feed rollers 128 and 129, the former of which is journals-fl in the lower end of swinging radius-frame 130, the upper end of said frame being pivoted on the shaft 131, and the upper feed roller 123 being driven positiv ly by chain and sprocket mechanism 132 from the main shaft 19. After leaving the continuously operating feed rolls 123, 129, each web of paper is allowed to hang` in a loop and then pass back over the paper roll 119 from which it came, and under a guide roller 112, on to the table 43. Roll 112 is lightly held in its journals by two springs, one of which is shown at 113 (li`ig. 1a, 3 and 4) so that it may be conveniently removed, and also to provide a. tension release on the paper if the sudden pull of the intermittent paper feeding mechanism hereinafter to be described subjects the paper web to an excess of ltension which must be relieved to prevent rupture.

@n the table 43 are laterally adjustable paper guides 115 which may be adjusted on the table by niovement relative to the holding screws 125 which pass tlu'ough said guides and are seated in horizontally extending slots 125l (see Fig. 2). Consequently ihes guides can be adjusted accurately to paper webs of different widths and can also be adjusted accurately to deliver said webs to the printing mechanism in proper register with the stencil cards. 114, 114 are springs carried by the platen arm 7 and bearing upon the paper webs 111, 111` to produce slight frictional contact therewith, which is 1greatest when the platen 9 is lowered into 4nting position, thus insuring the paper iirmly held at the instant it is being passing through the. printing mechanism the paper webs pass under the guide har 116 (Figs. 1a, 2, 6 and 7) which may be rotatable and then up over the guide pulleys 113 (see Figs. 6 and 7) and down K,iin between the intermittently actuated feed wheels 119 and 120, thence under the guide plate 139, held iu position over the stationary knife edge 133 by 'screws 139, and under the swinging knife blades 134, 184L (see Fie-s. 5, 6, and 7.)

The sections of paper, each bearing a sten cilized address or post office station name or other legend, out off by these knives drop into the chute 190 (Figs. 1a and 7) and are posit'vely packed down into said chute k .st slidingl holder 194 (Fig. 7) by a packer head 163 which is vertically reciprocated by means of mechanism hereinafter to Y, escribed.

I obviously LLL essential that the feed eels 119, 1.29. or other feeding` inecl iisin, h is to pull the weo of paper 'through the printing mechanism, must be intermittent in action in order to allow the paper to be at res during the printing operation. rEhe particular train of mechanism herein illustrated as transmitting motion to produce this intermittent feeding action may be traced from the main shaft 19 to the shaft 126, which carries the driven feed wheels 11.9. follows:

llelical gearing 133 (Fig. 2) transmits motion from shaft 19 to counter-shaft 134, carrying spur gear 135, meshing with gear 136 carried by a second counter-shaft 137 (Figs. 1 and 4). This second counter-shaft 137 projects out through the front of the main frame 1 of the machine as shown in Fig. 6 and is there coupled to a third shaft 139 carried by the swinging frame 117, said frame 117 being hinged to the main frame 1 at 191 (Fig. 2) so as to permit it to be swung outwardly in a horizontal plane when the retaining bolt 117aN (see Fig. 6) is removed and the shaft coupling 138 (Fig. 6) broken. This coupling` between shaft 137 and 139 is a muff coupling, the ends of the n shafts being cut away so as to intermesh one with the other and then be held in engagement by the sleeve member 133 when it is in the position shown in Fig. 6. The spring-pressed ball 133a engaging either the groove 133C or 133b in shaft 139, holds said sleeve 133 in coupled or uncoupled position. l/Vhen the coupling is to be disengaged preparatory to swinging the frame 117 to one side, the clutch sleeve member 138 is slid to the left until the spring-pressed ball 133a drops into the groove 1331. This opens the coupling and holds it open.

rlhe constant rotation of shaft 139 when coupled to shaft 137 is transmitted by helical gearing 141 (Figs. 5 and 6) to the knife operating shaft 142 which shaft also carries a crank disc 1421L having a crank pin 143. @n this is carried the slipper block 144 sliding` in slot 145 in the toothed sector 146 pivoted at 147 to swinging frame 117. The toothed sector 146 which is thus vibrated by rotation of the crank disc 142a meshes with gear 148 loose on short shaft 126FL journaled in the gear box 153 which box is supported from frame 117 by studs 1531 (Figs. 2 and 5). This gear 148 turns loosely upon shaft 126 but transmits motion to it at different rates of speed according to whether it drives the gear wheel 152 (which is splined on shaft 126m) directly through engagement of the clutch members 158, or indirectly through gears 149 and 151 which are fast on a short shaft 150. The described gearing mechanism corresponds to the back gear of a lathe. The gear 152 slides longitudinally on the shaft 126, being carried by sleeve 154 which may be grasped by the knurled flange 157. rlhe spring-pressed ball 156 engagingl one or the other of the circumferential grooves in sieeve 154 holds the gear 152 either in its inward position of adjustment soA that it is directly clutched to gear 148 and out of mesh with gear 151, or in its outward position so that it is free from clutch engagement with 148 and then in mesh with gear 151, in the position shown in Fig. 2. On the inner end of short shaft 126 is carried the crank 159 on the outer end of which is mounted the pawl held in yielding engagement by spring 161 with ratchet wheel 162, which latter is fast on the end of shaft 126, which carries the feed wheels 119.

By operation of the mechanism in gear case 158 the constant rotation of the shaft 142 is transformed into a vibratory movement ofthe pawl 160 of greater or less ainplitude according to the position of the gear 152, and this vibratory movement is transformed by the pawl and ratchet mechanism into an intermittent, one-way rotation of the shaft 126 and feed wheels 119 of greater or less extent.

The upper feed wheels 12() Figs. 2 .and 5) cooperate with the intermittently driven feed wheels 119 as spring-pressed idlers, being mounted on shaft 121 journaled in vertically sliding blocks 122 which are forced downward by springs 123 (Fig. 6). To lift idler wheels 120 from contact with the paper supported by driven wheels 119, the cam plates 124 mounted on shaft 121 are turned by handle 124d in a counter-clockwise direc tion, (looking at Fig. 7). This causes the full face 124a of the cam plate to ride on stationary pin 124b and slightly lift shaft 121 and wheel 120. Projections 12 4Con cam plates 124 limit their rotation in either d1rec tion.

To prevent feed wheels 119 from overrunning the pawl and ratchet gear 160, 162 which intermittentlf-,f actuates them, and to insure the accuracy of the paper feed, the intermittently acting locking apparatus illustrated in Figs. 8 and 12, and partly shown in Fie-s. 2 and 5, is provided on the other end of shaft 126. rlhis consists of two notched discs 171 and 172 keyed to shaft 126 and co-acting with a spring-pressed finger 173 carried by eccentric pitman 174 which is reciprocated by eccentric 179 on shaft 142, being guided by shaft 126 which passes through slot 178 in said ptman. Finger 178 can be pushed inward or pulled outward b y grasping knob 17 5, and is held in one or the other position by pin 176 pressed downward by spring 177. This pin 176 is screwed into a saddle piece 173a which has a certain amount of up-and-down play in the recess in pitman 174 in which it is located, when spring 177 is conipiessed,-pin 176 and saddle piece 173n moving together. 1f finger 178 is moved inwardly or outwardly by means of knob pin 176 and saddle 173a are both thereby lifted slightly as the nose of the pin rides into or out of the recesses 175a in the short endwise sliding shaft carrying finger 173. he outer disc 171, as shown, has three equi-spaced notches with which finger 173 may co-act, thus allowing` shaft 126 after finger 173 has been withdrawn from any one notch, to make a third of a revolution before it is locked by finger 173 dropping into another notch. inner disc 172 has fifteen notches, so that when finger 173 is pushed inward and left in position to cooperate with disc 172, shaft 126 can make only one fifteenth of a revolution before it is locked by finger 173 dropping into another notch. is a result, when finger 173 is pushed inwardly wheels 119 will feed lengths of paper webs 111, 111a through the machine of only one fifth the length they would feed if finger 173 were pulled outwardly and co-acted with notched disc 171. The constantly rotating shaft 142 and eccentric 179 continuously reciprocate pitman 174, lifting finger 173 from engagement with any notch in discs 171 or 172 at or before the beginning of each feeding stroke of pawl 160, and then moving finger 173 down again quickly enough to press it against the particular disc with which it is co-acting before the feed motion of pawl 160 is completed, so that finger 173 may snap into the next notch as soon as it comes into register. 1f sliding gear 152 (Fig. 2) is clutched directly to gear 148 so to feed a long section of paper through the machine at each printing cycle, finger 178 should be placed in the plane of disc 171. 1f sliding gear 152 is in mesh witi gear 151 so that only short sections of paper are being fed through the machine, finger 173 should then be pushed into the plane of disc 172. In either case, if the pitinan 174 is pulled down before the nextiiotch in the co-acting disc has come under finger 173, spring` 177 will yield and prevent breakage of the parts, and yet snap the finger into trie notch as soon as it does reach the proper position.

Pape/' cutting mccha'zfiswt.'1l he webs 111, 111"L of paper are cut into sections according to the length fed out by the last above described mechanism, and this is done by the scissors-like action of swinging knives 184, 184EL (Fig. 5) on the stationary knife 188 (Fig. 7 Knives 184, 184a are pivoted at 185, 185 to frame 117 and are oscillated up and down by eccentrics 181 (Fig. 7) on shaft 142 through eccentric rods 182 connected to the knives by universal joints 1823 at the upper ends of said rods. The knives 184, 184L hare projecting lugs 195, 195% at their heels which are always in contact with fixed knife edge 188 and so ensure proper scissors-like action of the knives, under action of springs 186 (Fig. 6).

Packer f/ncc/zam'sm.-'i`he packer bar and T- heads 168 (Figs. 5 and 7) previously dellU lli

cla

:escasas scribed are vertically reciprocated in guide slots 1?() by cani discs 165 on shaft 16d, the cani rollers 166 on the lower ends oi rods 16'? meshing With the cani grooves in discs 1657 and the upper ends oit said rods beingv 'fastened by screws 169 to the ends of the packer bar which `slide in the before inentioned vertical slots 170 torined in brackets 187 6) carried by traine 117. Shaft lGl is driven by chain and spr e et gearing 163 (Figs. 5 and 7) 'troni shatt 1112 and at the saine speed. To adjust the zone ot movement ot the pack r headf'; the rods lil? nay be niade adjustable in length. shown, each rod is inad in tivo sections which are joined together by a turn-buckle 196.

that While knives 18dand packer bar 168 are raised. "feed Wheels 119 are rotated the predeterin F ed rraction of a revolution to ieeiF printed sections of paper Webs 111 and 111 under the knives and packer bar. rlfhen5 While the feed Wheels are at rest and paivl 1GO 6) is inoviun to the right, the knives 184i.. 1841- are pulled doivn to out oil the said printed sections oit paper Webs, and are tolloived by the packer bar and "l"- heads which push the cut-oil sections doiv into chutes i90 against 'friction support 194i, and under springs 192 Where the printed tickets or labels collect in a stack as shown at 193 in Figs. 1n, 6 and 7.

rl`he inanner ot use ot the invention may be briefly described as follows:

lt it is desired to print up say one hundred sets ot inail bag` 't'ehets for a route having ninety-one stations. the set ot ninetyone stencil cards bearing' naines and other data necessary to be printed on the tickets are stacked in the -i aggfiiine 2, short discharge belt 90 being swung up into the dotted line position indicated in Fig. 11 to permit this stack ot cards to be .inserted in the magazine. '.lhe upper end oi' the belt carrying1 traine 9.2i is then raised or loiverec and clamped in position by set screivs 87 so that When discha ne belt 90 is turned back into normal position it will be supported slightly above the top of the stach of cards in the magazine as indicated in ifull lines ii 11. The cani disc is placed on its slugpoi'tingi shaft 'i9 so that the ,sain groove ,noduciiig inotioi'i of the card elevator ,eh the upper .sone is brought into ennent with cani roller G3i, tea-r 152 is l ,in the position shown in Fig'. 2 so as lice the amplitude o'l vihiiation oi paul two to rei) lGtL and locking' linger 178 is pushed in'ivrfird to cooperate with notched @se 172 which ches cut in its has the periph rlhe Webs of paper properly threaded tli printed lirst upon paper web 11117 and, at he next cycle et operations, on paper web ll'hile the printing; platen is raised d 'he pape ueljis are tree:v the feed .vheels 1S) are lgiven one fifteenth ot a revolution by pmvl 1GO, which is sutiicient to pull por A.

tions ol the paper webs through the printingV mechanism equal in length to that oi the desired ticket. The loop of paper lmng'inel it vveen the roll 110 and feed rollers 128, aiiqordine; the necessary slack for this erniittcnt feeding); action on the paper. rihe iree ends ot the printed paper Webs are ijn'oiected unter the swinging; knives 1841, at ach lending operation and, 1 neg the next i'ninting` operation, are cut and packed doivn into receiving` chute 190 b the packer head 16S, as previously dese Ycd. The stroke oi the packer head is so adjusted a.. slotted connection 196 that the stoel; ot ticliets 193 is forced downward tar enough to niale sure that, on the upstrolcc or" the packer, the stack will not eX- pan-:l enougli 'to raise its top above the edge olf fixed knife 188.

TWhile the printing;- platen is raised the line olf stencil cards in thc guides 3 are Yled toiwvard by the pulling out of another card troni the bottoni oi magazine 2 by claw 31 and the card which has just been used Vto print on web 111 subsequently discharged 'tf-oni the ends oi guides 3 upon the inclined )le oit the, card eleva-tor, which is then tull lines in Fig. 9. lifhile the next printing` opera-tion is being perdermed the card elevator rises into position shoivn in dotted lines in 9, the card carried by it is spring-pressed ag inst the under sides o'l the upper 'feed belts 70. and, by the friction thereof, is pulled oilA the table drawn in betr-:een belts TO and 80./ and ultimately discharged between belt 90 and roller 96 on top oit' the stach oi cares in the magazine 2.

'"lfhe niachii'ic is thus allowed to run the set olf ninety-one stencil cards through the inkingf and impression mechanism over and over again. printingsuccessive sets otl tiel-(ets, each containing` the nan'ies of the sty-one stations on the route, until the nos eil number olf sets ot such tickets thus completed. counting' mechanism. not shown, niay he installed on the n'iaehine.` if this has been done the attendant` when he that the nuniber ot printing' lUU lll

ceeds the total number of tickets which would be needed to complete the hundred sets, can open the clutch, stop the machine, withdraw that stock of cards from the magazine and remove the sets of printed tickets collected in the chute 190.

lf labels are to be printed instead of short tickets a larger reed roller 128 is substituted in the continuously operating set of feed rollers 128, 129 the changing gear 152 is slid inward so as to free it from gear 151 and produce engagement of the direct drive clutch S, and the locking linger 173 is pulled cut in the position shown in Fig. 12 to cooperate with the notched disc 171 which has only 3 notches in its periphery. Then, whe-n the machine is started up, a length of paper web ive times as great as that before fed will be drawn through the printing mechanism at each operation and a correspondingly longer printed section will be cut off and packed into the chute 190. Otherwise, the operation is the same.

1f a. series of stencil cards are to be used too numerous to come within the scope of the restacking apparatus, or if for any reason only one set of tickets or labels or other documents are to be printed, the cam 611 is reversed with the result previously described., that is to say, the stencil cards are not rest-acked in magazine 2, but are packed down into chute 52 from which they must he removed by hand for storage or replacement in magazine 2 if additional sets of tickets or labels are to be printed from them. If the chute 52 is adapted to hold a card tray 52L as shown in Fig. 1, the cards are packed in this, and when it is filled it is removed for storage with its contents, and an empty tray is placed in chute 52, for a continuance of the described operation.

lVhile the impression platen is descending upon the paper webs. the printed ends of which are firmly held between the feed wheels 119, 120, the springs 114i, 114, are pressed downward on the paper webs and given a slight backward drag thereon which makes certain that the paper will be stretched smoothly across and over the stencil cards at the moment the platen presses the paper down on the cards and while the inking rollers are traveling across the under faces of the latter.

'While means for operating simultaneously on only two webs of paper are shown, obviously this number could be increased b v further duplication of the `apparatus shown.

Among the advantages of the invention may be mentioned the increased output of a single machine and attendant resulting from this last mentioned multiple feature. The automatic restacking operation which enables the machine to on and do its work while the attendant is engaged in other work, and the variety of product obtainable from a single machine as the result of the adjustable paper feed.

The adjustable card-supporting lingers 2a are useful in ensuring the proper engagement of feed claw 31, when the cards are warped so as to have a slight convexity on their lower faces. Raising the rear edge of the card then enables its front edge to lie flat on the lower card guide in the line of travel of claw 31.

The special form of mechanism for feedin;v the webs of paper is particularly advantageous in its operation because, being driven by a crank, it begins to move gradually as the crank passes its dead center and gradually accelerates to a maximum and then gradually decreases to zero, during each cycle of feeding operation. As a result, the paper is subjected to the minimum strain by the pull of the feeding mechanism and the gradual decrease of speed at the end of each c vc-le decreases the liability to over feeding. y v

The main driving` clutch, illustrated in Figs. 1 and 2, is advantageous in that the three-point engagement afforded by the pins 101a enables the driving' mechanism to pick up the driven mechanism quickly whenever the clutch is thrown into operation, and without waiting for the fly-wheel 100 to make nearly a full revolution before engagement occurs, as is sometimes the case with ordinary forms of clutches.

Having described the intention, we claim:

1. ln an addressing machine comprising a magazine for address bearing strips, mechanism adapted to print addresses from such strips, and means for feeding such strips consecutively from said magazine through said mechanism, the combination, with the above described apparatus, of a restacking device adapted to automatically return each address bearing strip to said magazine immediately after such strip has passed through said printing mechanism.

2. ln a printing` apparatus comprising a magazine, a series of stencil cards stacked in said magazine, an inking and impression mechanism adapted to cooperate with said Stencil cards to print the legends appearing thereon, and means for feeding said cards consecutively from the bottom of said magazine through said inking and impression mechanism, the combination, with the above described apparatus, of a device adapted to automatically convey each card after it is discharged from said inking and impression mechanism back to the top of the stack in said magazine.

3. A combination such as set forth in claim' 1 in which said restacking device comprises a pair of cooperating traveling belts located over said printing mechanism and extending from the discharge end thereof back to said magazine.

Lacasse l., A combination such as set forth in claim l in which said restaclring device coin prises a pair of cooperating traveling belts located over said printing mechanism and extending from the discharge end thereof back to said magazine, and means for adjnsting the height ot the delivery ends ot said belts, whereby stacks ot address bean ing .strips ot various heights may be used.

5. fr combination such as set tort-h in claim l in which said restaclring device comprises a pair ot traveling belts placed one over the other and located over said printing mechanism, the upper belt projecting beyond the lower one over the discharge end ot said printing mechanism, and a reciprocating elevator adapted to receive each card discharged from said printing mecha-nism and litt it into contact with said upper belt.

G. ln an addressing machine comprising a magazine adapted to hold a stack otl address bearing strips, mechanism adapted to print the addresses 'trom such strips, guides extending from the bottom oi" said magazine to and through said mechanism, and means tor feeding such strips one by one from said magazine along said guides, the combination, with the above described apparatus, or" a strip conveyor extending from a point over the discharge end oit said guides back to said magazine, receptacle tor such address bearing strips below the discharge end ot said guides, and a vertically reciprocating member adapted to either litt each strip dischargedirom said guides up to said conveyor', or to :torce it down into said receptacle, according to the timing and zone ot its reciprocation.

7. ln an addressing machine employing stencil cards and having a magazine in which a series ot such cards may be stacked, the combination, with said magazine, ot a card restaclier comprising a pair ot traveling belts located one over the other, the upper belt projecting beyond the lower one at the intake end et the conveyor, and the discharge end ot' the conveyor being adjustable vertically along an open side ot' said magazine, and means tor 'forcing cards one at a time up against the projecting under surface ot said upper belt, whereby each card is carried between said belts and projected into said magazine, at a predetermined height.

8. A structure such as set forth in claim 7 combined with a short traveling discharge belt extending from the upper end ot' the upper belt ot' the main conveyor into the card magazine.

9. A structure such as set forth in claim 7 combined with a short traveling discharge belt extending from the upper end ot the upper belt of the main conveyor into the card magazine, and a guide roller mounted in the side of said magazine under said discharge belt and in contact therewith when no card is passing` between the two.

l0. A structure such as set forth in claim I combined with a short traveling discharge belt extending i'rom the upper end of the upper belt ot the main conveyor into the card magazine, and a guide roller mounted in the side of said maga-zine under said discharge belt and in contact therewith when no card is passing between the two, said discharge belt having its outer carrying pulley supported on a swinging arm pivoted above its inner carrying pulley, whereby said discharge belt may be swung upward and out ot said magazine when not in operation.

ll. ln an addressing machine employing stencil cards as the address bearing elements, a convertible device tor either packing such cards after use into a receptacle or restacking them in the machine for re-use, which said device comprises, in combination, a vertically reciprocating member, a double Vlaced reversible cam disc, and motion conveying mechanism from said cam to said reciprocating mechanism, whereby when said mechanism engages one face ot said cam disc the apparatus operates as a card restacler, but when the cam disc is reversed, the apparatus operates as a card packer.

l2. ln a card conveyor for addressing machines the combination of a pair ot inclined endless traveling belts arranged one over the other with the end of the upper belt loop projecting beyond the lower belt at their lower ends, and a vertically reciproeating elevator located under said projecting belt, said elevator being provided with a spring supported carrier plate tor cards so inclined as to be substantially parallel to the inclined portions of said belts.

13. A structure such as set forth in claim l2 combined with means for locking said carrier plate in a lowered position when contact with the belt is to be avoided during continued reciprocation ot' said elevator.

la. ln an addressing machine comprising an inlring and impression mechanism adapted to print from a series ot address bearing strips, a platen tor such impression mechanism having a loose universal joint mounting, and screws for adjusting said platen on said universal joint mounting in diii'erent planes, about the axis determined by said adjusting screws.

l5. ln a printing mechanism adapted to operate on a continuous web of paper, the combination oi a guide bed for said paper, a platen, forming part o'l' the printing mech anism, mounted over and capable ot moving toward and Jfrom said bed, a feeding device adapted to draw the web of paper over said table and under said platen, and a spring pressure device moving with the platen anc i adapted to press the paper against said table during the descent of the platen for ing mechanism, a prime mover and a main each printing operation, said spring pressure device being located on the side of the platen opposite that on which said paper feeding mechanism is located, whereby said paper is placed under tension at the place of, and during, each printing operation.

1G. A combination such as set forth m claim in which said spring pressure device has a slight backward motion over the web of pap r on its downward movement after making contact therewith.

17. ln a printing mechanism adapted to print on a web of paper and to cut the same into sections, a paper feeding mechanism, comprising, in combination, a rotatable feed wheel, a reciprocating` toothed sector having a uniform amplitude of reciprocation, a gear wheel meshing therewith, a pawl and ratchet mechanism having one element connected to said feed wheel, and change gearing conveying motion from said sector driven gear wheel to the other element of said pawl and ratchet mechanism, whereby when said change gearing varies the amplitude of motion transmitted from the uniform oscillations of said sector driven gear to the pawl and ratchet mechanism, different lengths of paper web are fed forward at each cycle of operation.

18. ln an addressing machine adapted to print on a web of paper, an intermittently acting feed mechanism for said paper capable of adjustment as to amplitude of each feed motion, and a paper cutting mechanism operating once during each printing operation, whereby the addresses may be printed on sections of paper of different lengths.

19. ln a printin' apparatus adapted to operate on a web of paper and provided with adjustable means for feeding various lengths of paper through the printing mechanism comprising cooperating intermittently operating feed wheels mounted on parallel shafts, the combination, with said feed mechanism, of a plurality of differently notched discs rigidly mounted on one of said shafts, a cooperating spring pressed locking linger and means for withdrawing said linger from notch engagement or reengaging it by movement radially of the discs at each cycle of feeding operations, said finger being manually adjustable for engagement with the notches in one or another of said discs, whereby each motion of said paper feeding mechanism is positively limited to an amount corresponding to the angular spaces between successive notches in the particular disc with which said linger is in engagement.

20. ln an addressing machine comprising printing mechanism, means for feeding a series of address bearing strips through said mechanism, means for supporting a roll of paper and guiding said paper to said printframe in which the above recited elements are mounted, the combination, with the above described structure, of a horizontally swinging frame hinged to the front of said main frame and paper feeding mechanism carried thereby, together' with a separable drive shaft, one section of which is journaled in said main frame and connected to said prime mover, while the other section thereof is journaled in said swinging frame Vand connected to said feed mechanism, and

a separable coupling for said shaft sections, whereby the two above described groups of mechanism can be geared together when said swinging frame is in its inward position, or separated for examination and repair by swinging said frame outwardly.

21. ln an addressing machine employing stencil cards and having a vertical maga- Zine open at one side in which a series of such cards may be stacked, the combina tion with said machine, of a card restaclter comprising a pair of traveling belts located one over the other and the discharge ends of said belts being adjacent to the open side of said magazine, a short discharge belt eX- tending from the upper end of the upper belt of the first-mentioned pair and into the card magazine through said open side thereof, and a guide roller mounted on said magazine beneath said discharge belt.

A combination such as described in claim 21 in which the belts of the first mentioned pair are in contact at their intaire ends but slightly separate at their discharge ends.

Q3. Rr combination such as described in claim 21 in which both the guide roller and the discharge belt are vertically adjustable to accommodate carty staclrs of different heights in the magazine.

2d. ln an addressing machine employing address bearing strips, the combination of a discharge chute for receiving' such address bearing strips after they have been used in the machine, and a filing tray for such strips removably attached to the end of said chute in position to receive the strips discharged therethrough, and constituting an eXtension thereof.

25. A structure such as described in claim combined with a spring clip mounted on one wall of said chute adapted to engage Vand retain in said chute the stack of address bearing strips delivered to it.

2G. A combination such as described in claim 11 in which said cam disc is removably mounted upon ashaft and the end of said shaft nearest said cam disc h-as a journal bearing removably mounted on the main frame of the machine.

27. ln an addressing machine adapted to print a series of addresses on a web of paper and cut the same into sections, the combina- 

